--Gatineau will receive nearly $32 million to support infrastructure projects 

Sophie Demers

The new $32 million project funding from the Quebec and federal governments can be used for road maintenance, water waste, drinking water and other types of infrastructure projects that meet the needs and priorities of municipalities. 

This new funding for the City of Gatineau is not broken down by sector; instead, the money is allocated to projects that are higher priority based on the state of existing infrastructure and the resulting needs. The city is currently planning the projects that will start in 2022-2023 with the new resources. In previous years, Gatineau has used funds for improving and maintaining roads. 

Each municipality may use 20% of its allocated funds for projects in the priority of their choice. However, 80% of the funds must be allocated in the order of priority based on the list of projects that was made by the city in the previous year. 

Announced on July 7, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ms. Andrée Laforest, and deputy of Papineau, Minister of Families and Minister responsible for the Outaouais region, Mathieu Lacombe, announced an increase of $48.7 million in the Gasoline Tax Program and the Quebec contribution (TECQ). The recent increase of nearly $49 million will be divided among 67 municipalities and towns in the Outaouais region. 

The funding is welcomed news, given the state of some of the main roads in Aylmer, including major arteries like Vanier Road and the Lower Aylmer Road. “By financially supporting municipalities in their infrastructure work, our government is demonstrating that it listens to the regions and that it is committed to maintaining quality services for citizens,” Minister Laforest says in the press release. “It is also a way for us to accelerate the economic recovery in each of our beautiful regions.” 

At this time last year, Minister Laforest announced an increase of nearly a billion dollars,  bringing the total amount, to be used in the years 2019 to 2023, to $4.4 billion dollars coming in equal parts from the Quebec and the Canadian governments. 

TECQ is an agreement made between the Quebec government and the Canadian government which aims to take a portion of the federal tax made on gasoline, as well as contributions from the Quebec government in order to support the municipalities in stimulating economic recovery.

Photo: Minister of Families and Minister responsible for the Outaouais region, Mathieu Lacombe announced an increase of $48.7 million in the Gasoline Tax Program and the Quebec contribution (TECQ) to cities. Photo: Bulletin Archives